Chapter 48 Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, bewildered in the wind
"Stop!"
A furious shout suddenly rang out.
Yu Xiaogang, who had been observing coldly from the sidelines, finally couldn't hold back any longer.
Seeing his beloved disciple being "bullied" by Ye Liuyun like a laborer, the scales in his heart instantly tipped.
Tang San was more likely to bully others than to be bullied; his master would never allow it.
Yu Xiaogang rushed over, stood in front of Ye Liuyun, pointed his finger at Ye Liuyun's nose, and spat as he spoke:
"Ye Liuyun! What are you doing?!"
"Don't you have any shame? Tang San helped Ning Rongrong, that's a favor! And you actually gave him yours too? Do you want to work him to death?"
Faced with the master's roar, Ye Liuyun spread his hands innocently:
"Master, I'm injured. Didn't you say we should have team spirit? Isn't it only natural for the captain to help the team members?"
"Shut up!"
Yu Xiaogang ignored all explanations and rebuked them righteously:
"So what if you're wounded?"
"Does being on the battlefield mean the enemy won't attack you just because you're wounded?"
"Does that mean the spirit beasts won't eat you just because you're injured?"
"True strength lies in never making excuses! Even if it means crawling, you'll carry your responsibility to the finish line! Your act of shirking responsibility is cowardly!"
After finishing his tirade, Yu Xiaogang coldly stared at Ye Liuyun, who stood empty-handed, and questioned him:
"Now, all the stones have been given to Tang San."
"Then what are you doing?"
"Are you really planning to walk around empty-handed at the back of the group like a big shot?"
"Is this all you've contributed to the team?"
"You should know that you are not a support-type Soul Master."
Ye Liuyun ignored Yu Xiaogang's criticism and walked straight to Ning Rongrong, who was still rubbing her ankle on the ground with a pained expression.
Without wasting any words, he directly grabbed Ning Rongrong's thigh with his other hand and, with a little effort, carried the delicate young lady on his back.
Ning Rongrong gasped and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning against his back.
After doing all this, Ye Liuyun turned around, looked at the dumbfounded Yu Xiaogang, and said confidently:
"Master, look."
"Although I am injured, I will never abandon my comrades. I can take responsibility for transferring the wounded who have lost the ability to move."
"Isn't this exactly what you keep talking about: teamwork and reasonable division of labor?"
"You…" Yu Xiaogang's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he looked at the scene.
He originally wanted to force Ye Liuyun to carry the stone back, but Ye Liuyun directly switched to the job of "taking advantage"!
Moreover, his logic was rigorous and flawless!
He was about to curse when Ye Liuyun spoke first, shouting at Tang San, who was being pressed down so hard he was about to vomit blood, behind him:
"Captain! Since the master said that the enemy won't let us go just because we're injured."
"I'll carry the wounded and get out of here first. You carry the supplies and catch up slowly!"
After saying that, Ye Liuyun carried Ning Rongrong on his back and ran away in a flash.
Yu Xiaogang was left standing there bewildered in the wind, his face as black as the bottom of a pot.
This was...
Tang San carried the stone, and Ye Liuyun carried the beautiful woman?
Was he helping Tang San establish his authority, or was he giving Ye Liuyun a freebie?!
"Teacher…"
With three times the weight on his back, Tang San watched Ye Liuyun's dashing departure and completely broke down.
He felt like a complete innocent victim.
And at this time.
Oscar joined in, obsequiously stuffing the stones from his arms into Tang San's basket:
"Um... Third Brother, Captain!"
"I can't run anymore either. Since you're the captain... well, the capable should do more, the capable should do more!"
After saying that, Oscar followed Ye Liuyun's example and ran away empty-handed.
Next up was Ma Hongjun.
"Third Brother! Thanks!"
In the blink of an eye, all the stones were pressing down on Tang San alone.
Tang San: "..."
Yu Xiaogang: "..."
Was this what they called a team?
Was this the kind of authority he wanted to establish?
The wind whistled past his ears.
Although Ye Liuyun was carrying someone on his back, he was not slow at all.
Ning Rongrong, who was lying on Ye Liuyun's back, turned her head slightly and glanced at the two figures in the distance that had become black dots through her flying hair.
One was Yu Xiaogang, who was furious but helpless.
One was Tang San, who was carrying two baskets of stones on his back.
"Pfft."
Ning Rongrong finally couldn't hold back and buried her face in Ye Liuyun's shoulder, her shoulders shaking as she let out a suppressed laugh.
"What are you laughing at?"
Ye Liuyun looked straight ahead, his tone calm.
"I'm laughing at you... you're so mean."
Ning Rongrong raised her head, her bright eyes sparkling with a mischievous light.
What was Ye Liuyun like in her eyes before?
Aloof, eccentric, and unapproachable.
Sometimes he acted like a pushover, like when he saved that old man on the street.
Sometimes he could be terrifyingly indifferent, like calling someone trash.
But the longer she spent with him, the more she realized how wicked he really was.
"Ye Liuyun, you really are a complete villain."
Ning Rongrong leaned close to his ear, her voice light and cheerful, carrying a hint of knowing-it-all smugness:
"You did that on purpose just now, didn't you?"
"That master clearly wanted to promote Tang San to the top. First, he scolded us and trampled on our self-esteem, and then he made Tang San stand up as a hero and dote on him."
"If it were an ordinary fool, he would probably be moved to tears by Tang San by now, and would be eager to bow down and worship him."
At this point, a hint of disdain flashed in Ning Rongrong's eyes.
As the youngest princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she grew up surrounded by her father, Ning Fengzhi, and was exposed to many of these imperial tactics for winning people's hearts.
She was in pain from the fall and feeling wronged, so she didn't react immediately.
Looking back now, it all made perfect sense.
"What a pity..."
Ning Rongrong gently poked Ye Liuyun's cheek with her finger and said with a grin:
"That master had planned everything, but he didn't expect there to be a 'scoundrel' like you in the team."
"By throwing the stone, you not only failed to establish Tang San's authority, but also made him a complete victim of injustice."
"And you ran so fast that you didn't even give the master a chance to speak to you again."
Listening to the girl's analysis, Ye Liuyun raised an eyebrow.
As expected of Ning Fengzhi's daughter, although she was a bit spoiled at times.
But this brain was definitely much better than that fat guy who only knew how to eat and that sausage uncle who only knew how to lick.
Ye Liuyun did not deny it, but simply smiled.
Ning Rongrong was quiet for a while, then suddenly leaned closer, her voice becoming soft and sweet.
"I'm sorry, I... I'd like to invite you to dinner to apologize for everything that happened before."
Ye Liuyun recalled Ning Rongrong's petty and ostracizing behavior in the past.
"If it's just an apology and a dinner invitation, then forget it, I didn't take it to heart."
Ning Rongrong tightened her arms around Ye Liuyun's neck, muttering to herself in a conflicted tone.
"Actually... if I had met that old man on the street that day, I would have intervened under any other circumstances."
"Only..."
She stopped mid-sentence, too embarrassed to say that she actually considered that day a date for the two of them and didn't want to be disturbed by anything else.
[end of the chapter]